Your Love for Sioux Hockey

[Sioux-cia]

Craig Ludwig and Jim Archibald...'nuff said

[Gma loves hockey]

I moved to Grand Forks in the early 70's from Minnesota. Didn't know much about hockey but that they had skates without toepicks, used long sticks to shoot a rubber disc at a cloth chicken net. I got to a few games in the early 80's, took my kids to games in the late 80's. Got hooked on hockey by the '87 team.

I remember a game at the old Ralph when Wisconsin was playing and had brought their pep band. Between periods, the UND drummer and UW drummer started drumming off at each other. We ended up with a Battle of the Bands, totally unexpected entertainment. I also remember them passing the hat at the Old Ralph for Travis Roy medical fund, the Boston player who broke his neck on his first college shift as he tried checking a Sioux player and went into the boards.

I have a friend that has a lot of hockey memories including the "old barn" and said the drink of choice for a lot of students was "hot Dr Pepper".

[Lgbnaf]

Sitting in row 3 seat 5 right next to the sioux bench from 82-88, being asked before an exhibition game by the equipment manager if I wanted to come down and pick up the pucks off the ice after warm ups and getting Troy Murray's stick for my efforts. Later on one of my buddies was stick boy for a season and he gave me one of Archie's sticks that had a wicked curve on it (you can stand a silver dollar on it's edge and it doesn't touch the blade). Getting one of Glen Klotz's sticks. Archie personally handing me a practice puck on his last game at the old Ralph. And Phil Sykes coming to my elementary school to talk about playing hockey.

[UNDPUCKS]

I try to explain that cheer to people when I describe Sioux hockey in the late 70's and early 80's. Somehow, they don't get it.

That cheer still makes me laugh.

Was the rest of it something like "your team is s*%tty and your coach smokes dope"? My memories are fading and there was alcohol involved.

[4evrSIOUX]

My passion came from my now deceased mother who loved her Sioux and with the same passion, hated the gophers. When she was in her mid 80's, weighing 85 pounds and in a nursing home she was as sharp as a tack. She was receiving physical therapy and her therapists were all Gopher fans. She let them all now how unacceptable that was and had me get Sioux T-shirts for the therapy staff. The little old lady rides her electric wheelchair to therapy proudly wearing a Sioux sweatshirt and a Gopher hat. The staff is stunned to see the hat and asks her why she is wearing the gopher hat. She is grinning from ear to ear as she lifts the brim of the hat to display the words "Gophers suck, Go Sioux" priceless!

[Wilbur]

Never got to see the Sioux much as a young kid, but about the start of the Dean Blais run is when it just took off for me. The Sioux were rarely on TV in Minot so I'd listen to them play on the radio, or check the paper in the morning to see how they did.

Of course the national championship year of 96-97 just added to it. Thats the first year that I can remember following every game in some way shape or form. Since then I've just known I was going to follow this team till death do us part.

[burd]

When did the first dead gopher/badger go on the ice. I don't believe it was a tradition in the early 70s but maybe we just never scored a goal against those two teams during those years.

[snova4]

This might be as good of a topic as any to make my first post. I've been lurking on the site for over a year, and finally decided to bite the bullet and join. I haven't been a Sioux fan for very long, especially compared to the amount of time some of you have been cheering for them. I grew up playing basketball, and hockey and basketball players had very conentious relations in my high school, so I never gave hockey the time of day. I met my now wife in 2008, who grew up in Grand Forks, and whose parents at one time had season tickets, and her uncle still did. She tried talking me into going to a game in the 2008-2009 season, and my past misgivings towards hockey players and the sport in general from High School won out. The 2009-2010 season she finally talked me into it. As luck would have it, she was able to talk her uncle out of one night of his season tickets, lower bowl, visiting side. The night she happened to talk him out of was Sioux/Gopher night. Being a first timer for hockey above a high school level, I couldn't believe the atmosphere. From the bus ride from Whitey's, to the anti-gopher chants, to the anthem. Everything took me in, and I bit hook, line, and sinker. Now she laughs at me, I've started watching the NHL (even went so far as to buy GameCenter), I very rarely miss a televised game, and we make three trips a year to Grand Forks for series. I have an entire wall dedicated to the Sioux in my basement, with the panaramic from the 2012 Sioux/Gopher series, pictures I've taken myself including the final Sioux-eep salute from the Pony Express year, and signed 8 x 10's of now pros wearing the Green and White (Toews, Oshie, Frattin, Kristo, Blood), and to think, the infatuation started with one game, in one series.

[pathfinder]

Reading some of the posts on this thread brings back many enjoyable memories. I have had a life-long passion for hockey and for following the Sioux. More so than for NHL hockey. My passion began while growing up in Minot. At that time only Grand Forks and Fargo high schools had hockey teams, but we had a couple of rinks in the city parks, one of which (Lincoln Park?) actually had boards in the form of dashers to help keep the puck in. I don’t recall what we used for nets, but this was good enough for a pickup game.

In 1956 I went east to begin college and went out for the freshman team at MIT. In those days, NCAA rules would not allow you to play varsity hockey until you had completed a season on the freshman team. I made the team and played on the first line with a center whose family was listed in the Boston 400. As an example of how little money was put into hockey programs back then, we had only one game jersey and we turned them in to the equipment manager after every game. When our season ended they collected the gloves to give them to the Lacrosse team.

In 1957 I transferred to UND and tried out as a walk-on for the freshman team. At that time Barry Thorndycraft was the freshman coach and Bob May (the Mad Hatter) had just replaced Fido Purpur as coach of the varsity. The skill level was a quantum jump for me. While I could skate with these players, I was a light weight at 125 pounds. After a brief few seconds in an exhibition game I was asked to turn in my gear. But for a couple of weeks I got to play with and know these freshmen players at practice.

This was back in the old Winter Sports Arena, an unheated, Quanset structure with locker rooms under the west end warming room. Legal seating was maybe 3000-3500, but actual attendance was closer to 4000. Nighttime temperatures inside, even with a full crowd, would reach into the 30s (below, that is). There was no Zamboni. Al Purpur had rigged up a 55 gallon drum on a sled with burlap bags hung below sprinkler pipes. After the corps of Rink Rats had shoveled the snow from the ice, Al would pull this invention around the rink to refinish the ice.

After being cut from the freshman team I played on an independent intramural team composed mainly of Canadian geology majors to be followed by playing for our fraternity team. I owned a pair of shin pads and elbow pads, but most people played without any equipment. Players would tape Life magazines or Saturday Evening Posts around their shins for protection. Worst of all was the snirt (mixture of snow and dirt) that would blow in through the gaps in the panels and coat the ice.

Despite my departure from the freshman team I became a die-hard Sioux fan. On game days I was in line at 4pm for rush seating in the student section. We would stand outside for two hours in the cold until they opened the doors at 6. I would throw down an old Army blanket at the blue line between the penalty box and the visitors’ bench. I have an old buffalo fur coat that I used to wear to the games. A pint of Jim Beam would fit neatly in an inner pocket and after we were able to fight our way to the concession stand my friends would gather around and I would open up the coat and pour.

Remembering the players that were on the ice at that time, there were Bill Steenson, who had a unique way of throwing his body to block slap shots with his chest, Ralph Linden, who legend has it that he jackknifed a tanker on the old Des Mers bridge, Bob Peabody (Whose bad knees made it difficult to get back up when he made a save. Our stellar defense deserved credit for his Goalie of the Year award because they were always in position to clear the rebounds), Eddie Tomlinson, Reg Morelli, and others.

There was a season (was it 1958-59?) where the old Western Intercollegiate Hockey League had broken up, but the same teams played each other. The CC and Denver teams had refused to travel and were playing 8 games between themselves for 1 point apiece. Meanwhile other teams had to travel to Colorado to play a two game series for 4 points. When UND traveled to Colorado they would play Denver on Thursday, CC on Friday and Saturday, then Denver again on Sunday for a total of 16 points at stake in the standings.

In 1959 I became Dacotah Annual photographer for two years and this gave me a pass into the photographer’s loft, along with my competitor from the Grand Forks Herald. I have since taken the tour of the Ralph but I did not see any of my photos displayed where we toured. I am sure that some of them are on display. I would like to return some day to walk through the whole building to see which ones were used.

In 1963 after a stint in the Army I returned for a master’s degree and then taught mathematics until I left in 1966. During this time, ca. 1965 I believe, one of the tribes came to the campus and there was a ceremony where they gave us the privilege of using the name Sioux.

Since leaving school I played in amateur leagues until hanging up my skates in 1996. This was several cuts above the intramural games where we were now playing with a full set of equipment and sharp looking uniforms. This is not to say that no-check hockey is safe when fully protected. Over the course of play I have compressed a neck vertebra, broken a collar bone, broken ribs twice, suffered a concussion, incurred blood poisoning from blocking a slap shot with the felt of the shin pad, and other minor injuries.

Looking at equipment back then, even at the varsity level, there was no face protection (if a goalie took a shot in the face there was a time out while he was taken to the dressing room, given a shot of Novocain and stitched up), helmets were simply a pad in front and in back of the head, skate blades went straight back, and stick blades were straight. NCAA rules did not allow body checks in the offensive zone. (We derisively referred to ‘dump and chase’ as ‘schoolboy hockey’. Real hockey players carried the puck or passed the puck across the blue line.)

Also there were differences in the rink equipment. There were no dashers to protect the boards. Fans were protected by chicken netting which would tear up your face if you were pushed into the netting by a check. The goal nets have all been modified to remove the sharp point at the bottom. The iron rods have been replaced by more player friendly fasteners. And of course the players of today have a higher set of skills.

I have not been back to see any games in the Ralph, nor have I even been in the first Ralph. I still look at the standings and follow games on this forum. While I do not have a TV, I will occasionally watch a game, if it is on, while I visit my sons. I am living in a little back water county in the southwest mountains of Colorado so I appreciate the postings on the threads for the games to keep me up to date.

[Sodbuster]

Reading some of the posts on this thread brings back many enjoyable memories. I have had a life-long passion for hockey and for following the Sioux. More so than for NHL hockey. My passion began while growing up in Minot. At that time only Grand Forks and Fargo high schools had hockey teams, but we had a couple of rinks in the city parks, one of which (Lincoln Park?) actually had boards in the form of dashers to help keep the puck in. I don’t recall what we used for nets, but this was good enough for a pickup game.

In 1956 I went east to begin college and went out for the freshman team at MIT. In those days, NCAA rules would not allow you to play varsity hockey until you had completed a season on the freshman team. I made the team and played on the first line with a center whose family was listed in the Boston 400. As an example of how little money was put into hockey programs back then, we had only one game jersey and we turned them in to the equipment manager after every game. When our season ended they collected the gloves to give them to the Lacrosse team.

In 1957 I transferred to UND and tried out as a walk-on for the freshman team. At that time Barry Thorndycraft was the freshman coach and Bob May (the Mad Hatter) had just replaced Fido Purpur as coach of the varsity. The skill level was a quantum jump for me. While I could skate with these players, I was a light weight at 125 pounds. After a brief few seconds in an exhibition game I was asked to turn in my gear. But for a couple of weeks I got to play with and know these freshmen players at practice.

This was back in the old Winter Sports Arena, an unheated, Quanset structure with locker rooms under the west end warming room. Legal seating was maybe 3000-3500, but actual attendance was closer to 4000. Nighttime temperatures inside, even with a full crowd, would reach into the 30s (below, that is). There was no Zamboni. Al Purpur had rigged up a 55 gallon drum on a sled with burlap bags hung below sprinkler pipes. After the corps of Rink Rats had shoveled the snow from the ice, Al would pull this invention around the rink to refinish the ice.

After being cut from the freshman team I played on an independent intramural team composed mainly of Canadian geology majors to be followed by playing for our fraternity team. I owned a pair of shin pads and elbow pads, but most people played without any equipment. Players would tape Life magazines or Saturday Evening Posts around their shins for protection. Worst of all was the snirt (mixture of snow and dirt) that would blow in through the gaps in the panels and coat the ice.

Despite my departure from the freshman team I became a die-hard Sioux fan. On game days I was in line at 4pm for rush seating in the student section. We would stand outside for two hours in the cold until they opened the doors at 6. I would throw down an old Army blanket at the blue line between the penalty box and the visitors’ bench. I have an old buffalo fur coat that I used to wear to the games. A pint of Jim Beam would fit neatly in an inner pocket and after we were able to fight our way to the concession stand my friends would gather around and I would open up the coat and pour.

Remembering the players that were on the ice at that time, there were Bill Steenson, who had a unique way of throwing his body to block slap shots with his chest, Ralph Linden, who legend has it that he jackknifed a tanker on the old Des Mers bridge, Bob Peabody (Whose bad knees made it difficult to get back up when he made a save. Our stellar defense deserved credit for his Goalie of the Year award because they were always in position to clear the rebounds), Eddie Tomlinson, Reg Morelli, and others.

There was a season (was it 1958-59?) where the old Western Intercollegiate Hockey League had broken up, but the same teams played each other. The CC and Denver teams had refused to travel and were playing 8 games between themselves for 1 point apiece. Meanwhile other teams had to travel to Colorado to play a two game series for 4 points. When UND traveled to Colorado they would play Denver on Thursday, CC on Friday and Saturday, then Denver again on Sunday for a total of 16 points at stake in the standings.

In 1959 I became Dacotah Annual photographer for two years and this gave me a pass into the photographer’s loft, along with my competitor from the Grand Forks Herald. I have since taken the tour of the Ralph but I did not see any of my photos displayed where we toured. I am sure that some of them are on display. I would like to return some day to walk through the whole building to see which ones were used.

In 1963 after a stint in the Army I returned for a master’s degree and then taught mathematics until I left in 1966. During this time, ca. 1965 I believe, one of the tribes came to the campus and there was a ceremony where they gave us the privilege of using the name Sioux.

Since leaving school I played in amateur leagues until hanging up my skates in 1996. This was several cuts above the intramural games where we were now playing with a full set of equipment and sharp looking uniforms. This is not to say that no-check hockey is safe when fully protected. Over the course of play I have compressed a neck vertebra, broken a collar bone, broken ribs twice, suffered a concussion, incurred blood poisoning from blocking a slap shot with the felt of the shin pad, and other minor injuries.

Looking at equipment back then, even at the varsity level, there was no face protection (if a goalie took a shot in the face there was a time out while he was taken to the dressing room, given a shot of Novocain and stitched up), helmets were simply a pad in front and in back of the head, skate blades went straight back, and stick blades were straight. NCAA rules did not allow body checks in the offensive zone. (We derisively referred to ‘dump and chase’ as ‘schoolboy hockey’. Real hockey players carried the puck or passed the puck across the blue line.)

Also there were differences in the rink equipment. There were no dashers to protect the boards. Fans were protected by chicken netting which would tear up your face if you were pushed into the netting by a check. The goal nets have all been modified to remove the sharp point at the bottom. The iron rods have been replaced by more player friendly fasteners. And of course the players of today have a higher set of skills.

I have not been back to see any games in the Ralph, nor have I even been in the first Ralph. I still look at the standings and follow games on this forum. While I do not have a TV, I will occasionally watch a game, if it is on, while I visit my sons. I am living in a little back water county in the southwest mountains of Colorado so I appreciate the postings on the threads for the games to keep me up to date.

Wow....I think you belong in the Sioux Fan hall of fame......if we had one! A very interesting first post.

[Frozen4sioux]

Reading some of the posts on this thread brings back many enjoyable memories. I have had a life-long passion for hockey and for following the Sioux. More so than for NHL hockey. My passion began while growing up in Minot. At that time only Grand Forks and Fargo high schools had hockey teams, but we had a couple of rinks in the city parks, one of which (Lincoln Park?) actually had boards in the form of dashers to help keep the puck in. I don’t recall what we used for nets, but this was good enough for a pickup game.

In 1956 I went east to begin college and went out for the freshman team at MIT. In those days, NCAA rules would not allow you to play varsity hockey until you had completed a season on the freshman team. I made the team and played on the first line with a center whose family was listed in the Boston 400. As an example of how little money was put into hockey programs back then, we had only one game jersey and we turned them in to the equipment manager after every game. When our season ended they collected the gloves to give them to the Lacrosse team.

In 1957 I transferred to UND and tried out as a walk-on for the freshman team. At that time Barry Thorndycraft was the freshman coach and Bob May (the Mad Hatter) had just replaced Fido Purpur as coach of the varsity. The skill level was a quantum jump for me. While I could skate with these players, I was a light weight at 125 pounds. After a brief few seconds in an exhibition game I was asked to turn in my gear. But for a couple of weeks I got to play with and know these freshmen players at practice.

This was back in the old Winter Sports Arena, an unheated, Quanset structure with locker rooms under the west end warming room. Legal seating was maybe 3000-3500, but actual attendance was closer to 4000. Nighttime temperatures inside, even with a full crowd, would reach into the 30s (below, that is). There was no Zamboni. Al Purpur had rigged up a 55 gallon drum on a sled with burlap bags hung below sprinkler pipes. After the corps of Rink Rats had shoveled the snow from the ice, Al would pull this invention around the rink to refinish the ice.

After being cut from the freshman team I played on an independent intramural team composed mainly of Canadian geology majors to be followed by playing for our fraternity team. I owned a pair of shin pads and elbow pads, but most people played without any equipment. Players would tape Life magazines or Saturday Evening Posts around their shins for protection. Worst of all was the snirt (mixture of snow and dirt) that would blow in through the gaps in the panels and coat the ice.

Despite my departure from the freshman team I became a die-hard Sioux fan. On game days I was in line at 4pm for rush seating in the student section. We would stand outside for two hours in the cold until they opened the doors at 6. I would throw down an old Army blanket at the blue line between the penalty box and the visitors’ bench. I have an old buffalo fur coat that I used to wear to the games. A pint of Jim Beam would fit neatly in an inner pocket and after we were able to fight our way to the concession stand my friends would gather around and I would open up the coat and pour.

Remembering the players that were on the ice at that time, there were Bill Steenson, who had a unique way of throwing his body to block slap shots with his chest, Ralph Linden, who legend has it that he jackknifed a tanker on the old Des Mers bridge, Bob Peabody (Whose bad knees made it difficult to get back up when he made a save. Our stellar defense deserved credit for his Goalie of the Year award because they were always in position to clear the rebounds), Eddie Tomlinson, Reg Morelli, and others.

There was a season (was it 1958-59?) where the old Western Intercollegiate Hockey League had broken up, but the same teams played each other. The CC and Denver teams had refused to travel and were playing 8 games between themselves for 1 point apiece. Meanwhile other teams had to travel to Colorado to play a two game series for 4 points. When UND traveled to Colorado they would play Denver on Thursday, CC on Friday and Saturday, then Denver again on Sunday for a total of 16 points at stake in the standings.

In 1959 I became Dacotah Annual photographer for two years and this gave me a pass into the photographer’s loft, along with my competitor from the Grand Forks Herald. I have since taken the tour of the Ralph but I did not see any of my photos displayed where we toured. I am sure that some of them are on display. I would like to return some day to walk through the whole building to see which ones were used.

In 1963 after a stint in the Army I returned for a master’s degree and then taught mathematics until I left in 1966. During this time, ca. 1965 I believe, one of the tribes came to the campus and there was a ceremony where they gave us the privilege of using the name Sioux.

Since leaving school I played in amateur leagues until hanging up my skates in 1996. This was several cuts above the intramural games where we were now playing with a full set of equipment and sharp looking uniforms. This is not to say that no-check hockey is safe when fully protected. Over the course of play I have compressed a neck vertebra, broken a collar bone, broken ribs twice, suffered a concussion, incurred blood poisoning from blocking a slap shot with the felt of the shin pad, and other minor injuries.

Looking at equipment back then, even at the varsity level, there was no face protection (if a goalie took a shot in the face there was a time out while he was taken to the dressing room, given a shot of Novocain and stitched up), helmets were simply a pad in front and in back of the head, skate blades went straight back, and stick blades were straight. NCAA rules did not allow body checks in the offensive zone. (We derisively referred to ‘dump and chase’ as ‘schoolboy hockey’. Real hockey players carried the puck or passed the puck across the blue line.)

Also there were differences in the rink equipment. There were no dashers to protect the boards. Fans were protected by chicken netting which would tear up your face if you were pushed into the netting by a check. The goal nets have all been modified to remove the sharp point at the bottom. The iron rods have been replaced by more player friendly fasteners. And of course the players of today have a higher set of skills.

I have not been back to see any games in the Ralph, nor have I even been in the first Ralph. I still look at the standings and follow games on this forum. While I do not have a TV, I will occasionally watch a game, if it is on, while I visit my sons. I am living in a little back water county in the southwest mountains of Colorado so I appreciate the postings on the threads for the games to keep me up to date.

Wow this is awesome...

Thank you for posting!!!!

I collect those Dacotah annuals so I enjoy seeing all those not as common pictures, thank you!

One question I have always had, did they take any color photos at that time it is so rare to see a color photo from that era of Sioux hockey.

Thank you .

[MafiaMan]

Reading some of the posts on this thread brings back many enjoyable memories. I have had a life-long passion for hockey and for following the Sioux. More so than for NHL hockey. My passion began while growing up in Minot. At that time only Grand Forks and Fargo high schools had hockey teams, but we had a couple of rinks in the city parks, one of which (Lincoln Park?) actually had boards in the form of dashers to help keep the puck in. I don’t recall what we used for nets, but this was good enough for a pickup game.

In 1956 I went east to begin college and went out for the freshman team at MIT. In those days, NCAA rules would not allow you to play varsity hockey until you had completed a season on the freshman team. I made the team and played on the first line with a center whose family was listed in the Boston 400. As an example of how little money was put into hockey programs back then, we had only one game jersey and we turned them in to the equipment manager after every game. When our season ended they collected the gloves to give them to the Lacrosse team.

In 1957 I transferred to UND and tried out as a walk-on for the freshman team. At that time Barry Thorndycraft was the freshman coach and Bob May (the Mad Hatter) had just replaced Fido Purpur as coach of the varsity. The skill level was a quantum jump for me. While I could skate with these players, I was a light weight at 125 pounds. After a brief few seconds in an exhibition game I was asked to turn in my gear. But for a couple of weeks I got to play with and know these freshmen players at practice.

This was back in the old Winter Sports Arena, an unheated, Quanset structure with locker rooms under the west end warming room. Legal seating was maybe 3000-3500, but actual attendance was closer to 4000. Nighttime temperatures inside, even with a full crowd, would reach into the 30s (below, that is). There was no Zamboni. Al Purpur had rigged up a 55 gallon drum on a sled with burlap bags hung below sprinkler pipes. After the corps of Rink Rats had shoveled the snow from the ice, Al would pull this invention around the rink to refinish the ice.

After being cut from the freshman team I played on an independent intramural team composed mainly of Canadian geology majors to be followed by playing for our fraternity team. I owned a pair of shin pads and elbow pads, but most people played without any equipment. Players would tape Life magazines or Saturday Evening Posts around their shins for protection. Worst of all was the snirt (mixture of snow and dirt) that would blow in through the gaps in the panels and coat the ice.

Despite my departure from the freshman team I became a die-hard Sioux fan. On game days I was in line at 4pm for rush seating in the student section. We would stand outside for two hours in the cold until they opened the doors at 6. I would throw down an old Army blanket at the blue line between the penalty box and the visitors’ bench. I have an old buffalo fur coat that I used to wear to the games. A pint of Jim Beam would fit neatly in an inner pocket and after we were able to fight our way to the concession stand my friends would gather around and I would open up the coat and pour.

Remembering the players that were on the ice at that time, there were Bill Steenson, who had a unique way of throwing his body to block slap shots with his chest, Ralph Linden, who legend has it that he jackknifed a tanker on the old Des Mers bridge, Bob Peabody (Whose bad knees made it difficult to get back up when he made a save. Our stellar defense deserved credit for his Goalie of the Year award because they were always in position to clear the rebounds), Eddie Tomlinson, Reg Morelli, and others.

There was a season (was it 1958-59?) where the old Western Intercollegiate Hockey League had broken up, but the same teams played each other. The CC and Denver teams had refused to travel and were playing 8 games between themselves for 1 point apiece. Meanwhile other teams had to travel to Colorado to play a two game series for 4 points. When UND traveled to Colorado they would play Denver on Thursday, CC on Friday and Saturday, then Denver again on Sunday for a total of 16 points at stake in the standings.

In 1959 I became Dacotah Annual photographer for two years and this gave me a pass into the photographer’s loft, along with my competitor from the Grand Forks Herald. I have since taken the tour of the Ralph but I did not see any of my photos displayed where we toured. I am sure that some of them are on display. I would like to return some day to walk through the whole building to see which ones were used.

In 1963 after a stint in the Army I returned for a master’s degree and then taught mathematics until I left in 1966. During this time, ca. 1965 I believe, one of the tribes came to the campus and there was a ceremony where they gave us the privilege of using the name Sioux.

Since leaving school I played in amateur leagues until hanging up my skates in 1996. This was several cuts above the intramural games where we were now playing with a full set of equipment and sharp looking uniforms. This is not to say that no-check hockey is safe when fully protected. Over the course of play I have compressed a neck vertebra, broken a collar bone, broken ribs twice, suffered a concussion, incurred blood poisoning from blocking a slap shot with the felt of the shin pad, and other minor injuries.

Looking at equipment back then, even at the varsity level, there was no face protection (if a goalie took a shot in the face there was a time out while he was taken to the dressing room, given a shot of Novocain and stitched up), helmets were simply a pad in front and in back of the head, skate blades went straight back, and stick blades were straight. NCAA rules did not allow body checks in the offensive zone. (We derisively referred to ‘dump and chase’ as ‘schoolboy hockey’. Real hockey players carried the puck or passed the puck across the blue line.)

Also there were differences in the rink equipment. There were no dashers to protect the boards. Fans were protected by chicken netting which would tear up your face if you were pushed into the netting by a check. The goal nets have all been modified to remove the sharp point at the bottom. The iron rods have been replaced by more player friendly fasteners. And of course the players of today have a higher set of skills.

I have not been back to see any games in the Ralph, nor have I even been in the first Ralph. I still look at the standings and follow games on this forum. While I do not have a TV, I will occasionally watch a game, if it is on, while I visit my sons. I am living in a little back water county in the southwest mountains of Colorado so I appreciate the postings on the threads for the games to keep me up to date.

Somebody beat me to it, but what an absolutely FABULOUS first post. I hope Wilbur doesn't read this or he might start crying. Seriously, it's awesome to know some of the stories behind the monikers on the board here and find out that not everyone on the board is a 2012 graduate. This one will be tough to beat, pathfinder. Keep the stories comin', folks, this one was a dandy.

[UNDBIZ]

I had been attending games for a few years prior, but Jason Blake and the HOOOOOOOGGSTEEEENs sealed it!

[Hayduke]

Somebody beat me to it, but what an absolutely FABULOUS first post. I hope Wilbur doesn't read this or he might start crying. Seriously, it's awesome to know some of the stories behind the monikers on the board here and find out that not everyone on the board is a 2012 graduate. This one will be tough to beat, pathfinder. Keep the stories comin', folks, this one was a dandy.

After that, we got nothing...

That was awesome! I love the tradition at UND!

[Old Time Hockey]

Reading some of the posts on this thread brings back many enjoyable memories. I have had a life-long passion for hockey and for following the Sioux. More so than for NHL hockey. My passion began while growing up in Minot. At that time only Grand Forks and Fargo high schools had hockey teams, but we had a couple of rinks in the city parks, one of which (Lincoln Park?) actually had boards in the form of dashers to help keep the puck in. I don’t recall what we used for nets, but this was good enough for a pickup game.

In 1956 I went east to begin college and went out for the freshman team at MIT. In those days, NCAA rules would not allow you to play varsity hockey until you had completed a season on the freshman team. I made the team and played on the first line with a center whose family was listed in the Boston 400. As an example of how little money was put into hockey programs back then, we had only one game jersey and we turned them in to the equipment manager after every game. When our season ended they collected the gloves to give them to the Lacrosse team.

In 1957 I transferred to UND and tried out as a walk-on for the freshman team. At that time Barry Thorndycraft was the freshman coach and Bob May (the Mad Hatter) had just replaced Fido Purpur as coach of the varsity. The skill level was a quantum jump for me. While I could skate with these players, I was a light weight at 125 pounds. After a brief few seconds in an exhibition game I was asked to turn in my gear. But for a couple of weeks I got to play with and know these freshmen players at practice.

This was back in the old Winter Sports Arena, an unheated, Quanset structure with locker rooms under the west end warming room. Legal seating was maybe 3000-3500, but actual attendance was closer to 4000. Nighttime temperatures inside, even with a full crowd, would reach into the 30s (below, that is). There was no Zamboni. Al Purpur had rigged up a 55 gallon drum on a sled with burlap bags hung below sprinkler pipes. After the corps of Rink Rats had shoveled the snow from the ice, Al would pull this invention around the rink to refinish the ice.

After being cut from the freshman team I played on an independent intramural team composed mainly of Canadian geology majors to be followed by playing for our fraternity team. I owned a pair of shin pads and elbow pads, but most people played without any equipment. Players would tape Life magazines or Saturday Evening Posts around their shins for protection. Worst of all was the snirt (mixture of snow and dirt) that would blow in through the gaps in the panels and coat the ice.

Despite my departure from the freshman team I became a die-hard Sioux fan. On game days I was in line at 4pm for rush seating in the student section. We would stand outside for two hours in the cold until they opened the doors at 6. I would throw down an old Army blanket at the blue line between the penalty box and the visitors’ bench. I have an old buffalo fur coat that I used to wear to the games. A pint of Jim Beam would fit neatly in an inner pocket and after we were able to fight our way to the concession stand my friends would gather around and I would open up the coat and pour.

Remembering the players that were on the ice at that time, there were Bill Steenson, who had a unique way of throwing his body to block slap shots with his chest, Ralph Linden, who legend has it that he jackknifed a tanker on the old Des Mers bridge, Bob Peabody (Whose bad knees made it difficult to get back up when he made a save. Our stellar defense deserved credit for his Goalie of the Year award because they were always in position to clear the rebounds), Eddie Tomlinson, Reg Morelli, and others.

There was a season (was it 1958-59?) where the old Western Intercollegiate Hockey League had broken up, but the same teams played each other. The CC and Denver teams had refused to travel and were playing 8 games between themselves for 1 point apiece. Meanwhile other teams had to travel to Colorado to play a two game series for 4 points. When UND traveled to Colorado they would play Denver on Thursday, CC on Friday and Saturday, then Denver again on Sunday for a total of 16 points at stake in the standings.

In 1959 I became Dacotah Annual photographer for two years and this gave me a pass into the photographer’s loft, along with my competitor from the Grand Forks Herald. I have since taken the tour of the Ralph but I did not see any of my photos displayed where we toured. I am sure that some of them are on display. I would like to return some day to walk through the whole building to see which ones were used.

In 1963 after a stint in the Army I returned for a master’s degree and then taught mathematics until I left in 1966. During this time, ca. 1965 I believe, one of the tribes came to the campus and there was a ceremony where they gave us the privilege of using the name Sioux.

Since leaving school I played in amateur leagues until hanging up my skates in 1996. This was several cuts above the intramural games where we were now playing with a full set of equipment and sharp looking uniforms. This is not to say that no-check hockey is safe when fully protected. Over the course of play I have compressed a neck vertebra, broken a collar bone, broken ribs twice, suffered a concussion, incurred blood poisoning from blocking a slap shot with the felt of the shin pad, and other minor injuries.

Looking at equipment back then, even at the varsity level, there was no face protection (if a goalie took a shot in the face there was a time out while he was taken to the dressing room, given a shot of Novocain and stitched up), helmets were simply a pad in front and in back of the head, skate blades went straight back, and stick blades were straight. NCAA rules did not allow body checks in the offensive zone. (We derisively referred to ‘dump and chase’ as ‘schoolboy hockey’. Real hockey players carried the puck or passed the puck across the blue line.)

Also there were differences in the rink equipment. There were no dashers to protect the boards. Fans were protected by chicken netting which would tear up your face if you were pushed into the netting by a check. The goal nets have all been modified to remove the sharp point at the bottom. The iron rods have been replaced by more player friendly fasteners. And of course the players of today have a higher set of skills.

I have not been back to see any games in the Ralph, nor have I even been in the first Ralph. I still look at the standings and follow games on this forum. While I do not have a TV, I will occasionally watch a game, if it is on, while I visit my sons. I am living in a little back water county in the southwest mountains of Colorado so I appreciate the postings on the threads for the games to keep me up to date.

Now that's old time hockey!

Thank you!

[darell1976]

My love for Sioux hockey was in 1984, my dad took me to my first Sioux game (in any sport) UND lost to CC but seeing them in person was so awesome. Of course watching the Hrkac Circus 3 years later against Yale (I still have the game program to this day) was incredible sitting behind the Yale goal when Hrkac scored a wrap around goal. I hope to give my kids memories they will remember always.

[airmail]

Was the rest of it something like "your team is s*%tty and your coach smokes dope"? My memories are fading and there was alcohol involved.

Holy crap - I had completely forgot about this cheer! Thanks for the refresher!!

[puck]

Growing up in Grand Forks, I can't remember not being a fan. What probably got me hooked on Sioux hockey were the radio broadcasts by the late Doug Tegtmeier. Tim Hennessey is good, but Doug had this beautiful voice and style that really made you feel you were there. Then going to games in the mid 60's mid 70's, my HS & UND years, in the old barn was an experience that cemented it. Seeing players like Lefty Curran, John Marks, Rick Wilson, Bob Munro, Terry Casey (RIP) Dave Kartio, and Dennis Hextall in a "big time" arena (at the time, since most HS games were still played on outdoor rinks) was a big deal. The fans in the old barn were right up against the action on the ice and become part of the game. Many a time that an opposing player would be checked into the chicken wire, that the fans would give a little check from this side or grab the sweater through the wire and hold 'em up a while. The barn experience, with it's ice fog, condensation from the ceiling making interesting ice conditions, smokey warming rooms on each end serving up super hot, hot chocolate and hot Dr. Peppers did it for me.

[burd]

Growing up in Grand Forks, I can't remember not being a fan. What probably got me hooked on Sioux hockey were the radio broadcasts by the late Doug Tegtmeier. Tim Hennessey is good, but Doug had this beautiful voice and style that really made you feel you were there. Then going to games in the mid 60's mid 70's, my HS & UND years, in the old barn was an experience that cemented it. Seeing players like Lefty Curran, John Marks, Rick Wilson, Bob Munro, Terry Casey (RIP) Dave Kartio, and Dennis Hextall in a "big time" arena (at the time, since most HS games were still played on outdoor rinks) was a big deal. The fans in the old barn were right up against the action on the ice and become part of the game. Many a time that an opposing player would be checked into the chicken wire, that the fans would give a little check from this side or grab the sweater through the wire and hold 'em up a while. The barn experience, with it's ice fog, condensation from the ceiling making interesting ice conditions, smokey warming rooms on each end serving up super hot, hot chocolate and hot Dr. Peppers did it for me.

Yeah, the ice fog. The inside cover of Fight on Sioux has a great pic of a Bob Peabody looking back from his net (no mask). You can see his breath, and the background is a little fuzzy from ice fog. That place was a pure hockey experience.

[pathfinder]

Wow this is awesome...

Thank you for posting!!!!

I collect those Dacotah annuals so I enjoy seeing all those not as common pictures, thank you!

One question I have always had, did they take any color photos at that time it is so rare to see a color photo from that era of Sioux hockey.

Thank you .

Although there were color films, most publications were produced in B&W. I don't know when the Grand Forks Herald started using color but it was not when I was photographing. Likewise for the Dacotah Annual and the Dakota Student. Here are a few photos that I shot from the photographer's loft for a game against Minny.

http://www.photo-art.../hockey01sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey02sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey03sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey04sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey05sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey06sx.jpg

I don't remember what I did with all of my negatives. These six shots happen to be scanned from the 8x10 prints I had lying around. In any event I was shooting with a press camera that used 4x5" sheet film. I had a darkroom in Babcock Hall where I developed the negatives and made the prints. It may still be a darkroom because I noticed on a recent photo of Babcock that the window immediately to the left of the main entrance is still blocked off.

As an interesting side note, I happened to be in ND in 86 for a class reunion and when we passed through GF we stopped to look at the campus. We went into the Chester Fritz and I was looking for a copy of my thesis when the Head Librarian came over to ask if I needed any help.

It was a summer evening and the library was mostly deserted. In the course of our conversation I happened to mention that I had photographed for the annual. His eyes lit up and he asked, "Which one?" I told him the 1960 and 1961. He said, "Wait a minute," and left the room. Minutes later he returned with a large box labeled 1961. This box contained all of the copy used for the publication the way it had been tossed in at the end of the school year. I was able to recognize all of the photos that I had made for the annual. These photos may still be available for anyone who is interested in the history of that period.

I believe that the photo of Bob Peabody looking back to the scoreboard was made by a photographer by the name of Colburn Hvidsten.

Yes it was old time hockey!

[burd]

Pathfinder,

You have found a lot of us around the country from your place in the mountains of southwest Colorado, and I think I can safely say that all of us are extremely grateful that you did. Those memories are rich, and you do us a favor by sharing them.

[Siouxman]

Giving the business to the opponents, "go back, go back, go back to the woods". Cooper running around the arena with a flag when we scored.

Wow. I forgot this cheer until I saw these words.

The circling the arena with the flag was great. I remember a game against UMD (their fans were across the ice in the left corner from the students) where UMD scored. One of their fans ran around the arena with the UMD flag. They scored again, and he repeated the flag trip. Only this time when he got behind the penalty box area, a UND student on the end of the seats in the very top row of the lower seat section did a spin around move with an orange traffic cone. He nailed the UMD fan in the gut and folded him up like flip cell phone. Both were escorted out and the UMD flag waved no more.

Appreciate all of the stories. It gives some great historical perspective.

[Hayduke]

Although there were color films, most publications were produced in B&W. I don't know when the Grand Forks Herald started using color but it was not when I was photographing. Likewise for the Dacotah Annual and the Dakota Student. Here are a few photos that I shot from the photographer's loft for a game against Minny.

http://www.photo-art.../hockey01sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey02sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey03sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey04sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey05sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey06sx.jpg

I don't remember what I did with all of my negatives. These six shots happen to be scanned from the 8x10 prints I had lying around. In any event I was shooting with a press camera that used 4x5" sheet film. I had a darkroom in Babcock Hall where I developed the negatives and made the prints. It may still be a darkroom because I noticed on a recent photo of Babcock that the window immediately to the left of the main entrance is still blocked off.

As an interesting side note, I happened to be in ND in 86 for a class reunion and when we passed through GF we stopped to look at the campus. We went into the Chester Fritz and I was looking for a copy of my thesis when the Head Librarian came over to ask if I needed any help.

It was a summer evening and the library was mostly deserted. In the course of our conversation I happened to mention that I had photographed for the annual. His eyes lit up and he asked, "Which one?" I told him the 1960 and 1961. He said, "Wait a minute," and left the room. Minutes later he returned with a large box labeled 1961. This box contained all of the copy used for the publication the way it had been tossed in at the end of the school year. I was able to recognize all of the photos that I had made for the annual. These photos may still be available for anyone who is interested in the history of that period.

I believe that the photo of Bob Peabody looking back to the scoreboard was made by a photographer by the name of Colburn Hvidsten.

Yes it was old time hockey!

awesome!

I'd like to title this picture, "How many Gophers does it take to stop one Fighting Sioux?"

[brianvf]

Here are a few photos that I shot from the photographer's loft for a game against Minny.

http://www.photo-art.../hockey01sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey02sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey03sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey04sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey05sx.jpg

http://www.photo-art.../hockey06sx.jpg

These are ridiculously cool.

Thank you for posting!!

[MafiaMan]

Somebody get pathfinder to a viewing party in his neck of the woods in CO or invite him over to your house next Thursday...PRONTO!